# Carrying firearms for defense against an aggressive bear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420 "2024-04-17T18:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/101 "2024-04-23T21:12:19Z")
> Is a sawed off shotgun legal to possess in Canada? Yes, but like I mentioned above it’s about 1/4" longer then the minumum legal length! So it’s sawed-off, just not sawed-off too much! MtM ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/102 "2024-04-23T21:30:19Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Yosemite has lots of smaller black bears but no brown (grizzly) bears. Wait, what? Yogi and Boo-Boo are black bears, not brown? TIL, and my parent’s first color-TV led me astray. A childhood wasted in error. Ah, well… ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/103 "2024-04-23T21:31:50Z")
Jellystone, not Yosemite! In Jellystone, not only are the bears brown, they can talk. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/104 "2024-04-24T20:12:12Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Wait, what? Yogi and Boo-Boo are black bears, not brown? TIL, and my parent’s first color-TV led me astray. A childhood wasted in error. Ah, well… Black bears can be brown, or other colors- and in fact the ones in Yosemite tend to be brown. > **[American black bear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear)** > > 16, see text > Euarctos americanus > Ursus (Euarctos) vitabilis Gidley, 1913 > The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It typically lives in largely forested areas; it will leave forests in search of food and is sometimes attracted to human communities ... Despite their name, black bears show a great deal of color variation. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. Silvery-gray American black bears with a blue luster (this is found mostly on the flanks) occur along a portion of coastal Alaska and British Columbia. White to cream-colored American black bears occur in the coastal islands and the adjacent mainland of southwestern British Columbia. [Albino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albino) individuals have also been recorded.[[65]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear#cite_note-Herrero-65): 141 Black coats tend to predominate in humid areas such as Maine, New England, New York, Tennessee, Michigan and western Washington.[[66]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBrown199365-66) Approximately 70% of all American black bears are black, though only 50% in the Rocky Mountains are black.[[42]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBrown1993Ch._%22Bear_Anatomy_and_Physiology%22-42) Many in northwestern North America are cinnamon, blonde or light brown in color and thus may sometimes be mistaken for grizzly bears. Grizzly (and other types of brown) bears can be distinguished by their shoulder hump, larger size and broader, more concave skull.[[67]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear#cite_note-Macdonald-67)[_[page needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources)_] > [@Stratocaster](#): > > Jellystone, not Yosemite! In Jellystone, not only are the bears brown, they can talk. Only two, it appears. And they wear ties. Maybe ID collars? 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/105 "2024-05-05T19:39:04Z")
Recent killing of a charging grizzly bear by a shed hunter in Montana with a handgun. The article doesn’t mention the gun or the round. He took 5 shots, one grazed the bear and one killed it. > **[Montana Shed Hunter Shoots Charging Grizzly with a Handgun](https://www.yahoo.com/news/montana-shed-hunter-shoots-charging-202635776.html)** > > In a recent incident, a man looking for shed antlers shot and killed a charging grizzly sow. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/106 "2024-05-11T15:36:26Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > So is yelling shoo! and banging a pot with a spoon. But if that murder-penis does it for you, fine. And people often wonder why the dialog regarding firearm ownership accomplishes so little… ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/107 "2024-05-11T18:34:25Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > And people often wonder why the dialog regarding firearm ownership accomplishes so little… I’d be surprised if anyone paying the slightest attention is feeling anything like “wonder”. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/108 "2024-05-11T18:37:53Z")
Not sure why but that link no longer works. Yahoo says it cannot find the article. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/109 "2024-05-11T19:39:13Z")
Texts from neighbor last night - 1. I think we have a lion in our tree. 2. Disregard. It’s a bear. I didn’t know they hissed. 3. I put 4 rounds from the 12 ga into the ground. Hopefully he gets the hint. We let each other know of possible danger. This time of year they are waking up and are hungry. From me - 1. Thanks for the heads up. Thank God it wasn’t a lion. From him - 2. You’re not kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/110 "2024-05-11T19:50:39Z")
> **[Shed Hunter Kills Charging Grizzly with a Handgun in Montana](https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/montana-shed-hunter-kills-grizzly/)** > > Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks says the shed hunter shot five times, killing the adult female grizzly mid-charge. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/111 "2024-05-11T19:57:43Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > So is yelling shoo! and banging a pot with a spoon. But if that murder-penis does it for you, fine. Nice to know that you can be disregarded in any discussion of firearms. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/112 "2024-05-11T20:09:54Z")
He was lucky. Very lucky. Police will shoot 15 times to hit someone 6 times. And they know what’s going down. I don’t carry. Thought about it for when walking the dogs though. Neighbor carries a .38spl. OK. Well… Ok. Best of luck. My Wife does most of the dog walking. She thought about a revolver, but, well, she can’t hit the broad side of a barn. It takes time and practice. She decided that firearms where not her forte. I agree. Her best protection is two sixty pound very protective dogs. I think a bear would decline from that fight. No point in it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/113 "2024-05-11T20:16:52Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Police will shoot 15 times to hit someone 6 times. And they know what’s going down. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vHPPYNYOy-I/hqdefault.jpg "Ron White: California Cops") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHPPYNYOy-I&t=82) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/114 "2024-05-11T20:24:26Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Recent killing of a charging grizzly bear by a shed hunter in Montana What caliber of ammunition do you use for hunting a shed? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/115 "2024-05-11T20:26:24Z")
Something major. They’ll charge when wounded. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/116 "2024-05-11T20:26:49Z")
Most cops can’t shoot well, that is a myth from TV. They qualify at the shooting range, maybe annually, and never use the gun at any other time. And most of them now use a crappy Glock that can’t hit someone who is in the same room with them. If you have your own pistol, that you shoot a couple times a year, you are a much better marksman than the average cop. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/117 "2024-05-11T20:27:20Z")
For a shed? I prefer a John Deere or Kubota. Hard to miss it. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/118 "2024-05-11T21:09:38Z")
> **Hidden by What Exit?** > > > [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > > > Nice to know that you can be disregarded in any discussion of firearms. > > It’s my opinion that there are no useful discussions of firearms, at least online in general forums. Any more than there are useful discussions about other hills people have chosen to die on. Facts don’t matter on these hills. > > Black bears aren’t particularly dangerous and grizzlies won’t be stopped by a gun, so anyone insisting on a gun discussion vis a vis bears doesn’t want to hear facts. Which leads back to paragraph one. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/119 "2024-05-11T21:14:44Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > grizzlies won’t be stopped by a gun Demonstrably untrue, as the story I linked to proves. It’s not a sure thing by any means, but it can work. And the sound of firing a gun may also scare off a brown bear. So why are you lecturing people about not wanting to hear facts? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420/120 "2024-05-11T21:14:53Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Black bears aren’t particularly dangerous and **grizzlies won’t be stopped by a gun** , so anyone insisting on a gun discussion vis a vis bears doesn’t want to hear facts. Neither, obviously, do you. Reference Post #110, which shows the highlighted portion of your above to be factually **wrong** and total bullshit. So it is you and your hill that don’t want to hear facts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrying-firearms-for-defense-against-an-aggressive-bear/1000420.md?page=7)